Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-03-08
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a question of vital interest to the peO-
plc of South Christian, as well as TO
Yourselves. viz: the building OF
turnpikes for Ten miles from Hop
kinsville on the -four leading roads,
on which tolls shall be collected for
4 the builders, / enter my protest
against the scheme, even though It
be headed a "Boom for IIopkinsvilIe."
To me Il appears only boom of 10
to l5 per cent. interest to those who
take stock. or whom is this high
rate Of interest exacted why, of the
travel and hauling over the roads of
course. Well who is it that does
three fourths of this travel /? the farm
ers to-be sure, and the farmers are
then to pay these stockholders their
10 10 Is per cent. net interests, besides
paying interest on value of toll-gate
keepers houses, paying their salaries
and any deficits In their acts, in short
sum in tolls on The Palmyra road
of not less than 20 per cent on those
Boomers Investments, should our
County Court be so uninindful of the
wishes of the large msjority who re-
side near or on roads tributary 10 the
Palmyra. as to give away 10 this cor
poration our right to travel said road
On Wednesday ] was in your city
and of twenty men who reside in the
country and near the Palmyra road,
only one of them, a boyish youth fond
of fast driving, expressed himself in
favor of the scheme. Well. says a
pike man, you are opposed to pixies
are your No, sir not by taxation or
subscription. Oh pshaw, says he,
when the question of voting tax
was up You would not support IT.
No sir, not in the shape In which II
came up, when 1t was in the power
of the class who paid no taxes scarce
ly, TO vote the money out of the tax
payers pocket 10 give them employ
ment and free pixies, no sir, I would
not be party 10 crime like that,
which I'd consider as unjust as high
way robbery. Well, then on what
terms would you have railroad turn
pike tax imposed? BY ballot, each
man having a vote for every thousand
dollars worth or fractional part there.
of, on which he had paid taxes the
preceding year. / would consent to
such plan as that in preference TO
having as indifferent roads as we now
have, yet our roads are much better
than they were three years ago, and
every year finds us on the Palmyra
road in matchmaking the worst places
20 that we now have no sticking in
the mud, though we do now have
some places that are right ugly look
ing.
Well, lets hear what you think is
the best plan for permanently improv-
ing the roads and won't do any injus-
tice. Well sir, il is by subscription.
BY subscription? Wbewl Whcw
Well, sir, you would get subscriptions
rapidly with tobacco averaging 3 cts.
No sir, they would como In rather
slow were ii not that we realize that
we are in imminent danger of having
our road turned over to the boomer
element that will exact of us in tolls
in each year an amount whichif given
as subscription will place the Pal
myra and Dover roads in good repair.
The travel and hauling over the Do
yer and Palmyra roads would nav
tolls of 5000 per day on an average.
leaving out Sunday. and that would
amount to 5000 year. And lust
think of IL. 8lS miles of rough rock
new pike for the nine pleasant months
instead of our pleasant. smoothe dirt
roads, with good culverts where they
ought to be, good bitches at the sides
of the road and all bad places maca1-
amizeI. Oh but you could not have
that work done for $4,000. l think
we could, and if it takes moro our
County Court will, as iudicious in-
yestnlent appropriate as much more
as we get private subscriptions for, to
be used In piking and making sub
siantial culverts, an amount of not
less than $1,000, so you see we have
by this means $1,000 at our disposal.
Now you SEQ we have $1,000 with
which to improve our roads, the Pal
myra and Dover. Oh, yes l see how
you get your $1,000 from the County
Court, provided you get your sub
scriptions as large, but how about
those snbscriptions2 Well, you know
times are hard, but when we find that
we can get three miles of pike where
most needed, and the rest of the road
thoroughly worked for what our tolls
would be one year,why, we, the farm
ers, will come up with the cash and
pay the six thousand, a free gift. Oh,
but what evidence have you that you
will? Well, Jas. Cayce proposes to
pay Eve hundred dollars in prefer
ence to having toll-gates; Uncls Geo.
Cayce says he will give 500 per mile
for what pixies that are made on these
roads in connection with the grading
of soma; Uncle Phil Watkins says he
greatly prefers this plan and will sub
serbia literally for the improvement
Of the road. Everyone have spoken
TO is willing to do what he thinks
would be about right for his part,
considering what his tolls would be
and subscribing accordingly and not
one has offered TO do less than would
be his share fthe tax had been voted.
Then there are business men in Hop
kinsville and many Of them too, who
realize that with greatly improved
ladies too would oftenergo to the city
~ mi Ia n a a O